Literally nothing happened here as no doubt the Entente are building for a spring/summer offensive….

Italy

My attempt to get Trento back did not quite work. The Austrian 2nd and 6th Armies combined with the German 51st Army and the Austrian 5th Artillery to assault the city but Trento held; at least the Infantry defending has been reduced to a red 4-strength.

Turkey and Bulgaria

Nothing happening here once again.

Turn 94 – 17th January 1918

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

The Entente attack in the south, east of Strassburg, and I have to re-order the line – but it’s all a bit desperate. To try and relieve some of the pressure I attack the Belgian Infantry northeast of Liege but little real damage is caused.

Italy

I re-take Trento using the Austrian 5th Army (supported by German Artillery).

Turkey and Bulgaria

The French are building for an attack on the Turkish line south of Tabuk. I have two Infantry Armies – 20th and 21st at Medina that I can bring forward next turn.

Turn 95 – 31st January 1918

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

Nothing to report this turn.

Italy

Nothing to report here either.

Turkey and Bulgaria

…and the same story for this theatre.

Turn 96 – 14th February 1918

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

Focal point of the Entente effort is in the south again, where the Austrian 9th Army takes a bit of a pounding - but survives.

Italy

Austrian 6th Army is almost wiped out as the Italians counter-attack.

Turkey and Bulgaria

The British begin their awaited offensive against the Bulgarians, although damage to 8th Army is limited to 2-strength points at this stage.

Turn 97 – 28th February 1918

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

The Entente attack in the north and south, although fail to completely destroy any units.

Italy

I make further progress in Italy, in an effort to push the Italians out of the Trentino. The Austrian 5th Army occupies the hex south of Trento.

Turkey and Bulgaria

The British and French continue to pound the Bulgarians; this time 10th Army takes a beating and I continue to re-cycle units for as long as possible before bowing to the inevitable retreat.

_____________________________

England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson - October 1805

The Entente open up all along the Western Front and I lose two more units – I am increasingly thin on the ground now. I patch up what I can and wait….

Italy

I attack the most exposed Italian Infantry using the German 11th Army and the Austrian 2nd and 4th Armies. I only succeed in taking out a few strength points though.

Turkey and Bulgaria

The 4th Tabuk Garrison, south of that city, comes under increasing pressure from the French but I can only hope he holds for another turn as reinforcements are on their way. Meanwhile, I attack the French Garrison in Basra, but otherwise can do nothing on this front.

Not much for me to do – or more accurately – not a lot of units to do anything with… From a slightly promising position in northern Germany a few turns ago, suddenly it looks distinctly less so.

Italy

That was unfortunate. An attack by the Austrians destroys an Italian Infantry, but because of the mountainous terrain, I cannot get an unused Infantry to advance into the space and attack the enemy Artillery….big shame.

Turkey and Bulgaria

How did that happen? – I attack the French Garrison in Basra again – and this time get beaten….

I pull back from south of Tabuk - having lost the Turkish Garrison I have no choice…

The Bulgarian 5th Army gets almost wiped out, but manages to survive and I place a new unit in the line.

Turn 100 – 11th April 1918

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

Nothing much happening here this turn.

Italy

I take a chance and place the Austrian 5th Guards Army south of the Po, where he is likely to be destroyed but it might panic the Italians…..

Turkey and Bulgaria

I continue with the Bulgarian conveyor belt. 4th Army are the latest to almost face destruction, but just hold on and 10th Army takes over.

Strangely, the French and British withdraw from their position south of Tabuk… I will have to wait and see what they are up to.

Turn 101 – 25th April 1918

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

A quiet turn, although von Mackensen’s 7th Army is hit hard east of Strassburg.

Italy

4th Army is almost destroyed south of Trento so I remove it from the front line. I cannot afford to attack this turn without Artillery support which means 5th Guards Army remains exposed south of the river….one more turn please ….

Turkey and Bulgaria

A pretty disastrous turn… The Bulgarian line is shattered so I line my four intact armies from north to south east of Damascus. This leaves the way open to Aleppo, but I am counting on the need for the Entente to leave units to counter the Bulgarians.

I attack the northernmost Belgian Infantry with an Artillery and three full strength Infantry Armies – 8th, 16th, and 30th – but disappointingly only reduce the enemy unit to a 6…..

Italy

On this front the 5th Guards Army is not attacked and instead the Italians concentrate on their favourite hex, south of Trento. With an Artillery shell available this turn I re-take Venice. Good news indeed.

Turkey and Bulgaria

As expected the Entente forces have begun chasing me back toward Aleppo. I have a number of units around this city, although they are all Garrisons and none are dug-in….not great.

Further south the French seriously maul 20th Army, although 22nd Army then forces a French Infantry to retreat.

Turn 103 – 23rd May 1918

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

A quiet turn.

Italy

Ditto…. I am having to wait for Artillery ammo – maybe the Entente have the same predicament??

Turkey and Bulgaria

…and again – nothing really happening that I can see at any rate…

Turn 104 – 6th June 1918

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

The 1st Hamburg Garrison is attacked southwest of Frankfurt, but survives, and the 20th Infantry suffers the same fate northwest of Stuttgart. I replace both in the frontline and then go on the attack against a Garrison east of Liege. I follow up with 8th Infantry, which hits the 2nd line Belgian Infantry that was attacked previously.

Italy

Well that was completely ridiculous…. The 5th Guards Army dug-in for two turns loses to an Artillery and ONE Infantry attack…..bizarre . Anyway, I try the same tactic - using the 5th Artillery to assault the hex just vacated by my destroyed unit. The follow-up attacks by 6th and 7th Guards Armies dislodge the enemy Infantry. I push into the gap with the 1st Zagreb Garrison who reduced the enemy unit to a 1-strength and forces a further retreat which I exploit. The 4th Zagreb Garrison moves into the gap. I now have two Garrisons south of the Po….

Turkey and Bulgaria

Nothing – seemingly happening on this front, though no doubt there is plenty of movement behind the lines….

Some re-arrangement of the front has taken place – the Belgians in the north have conceded their place southwest of the Ruhr. But both the 8th and 51st Armies are badly depleted in the last round of attacks and I cannot take advantage.

Italy

My southernmost Austrian Garrison did not last long…. Sadly I have no Artillery to maintain the pressure here and now a British Infantry has been brought in to bolster the Italian front.

Turkey and Bulgaria

The Entente forces are starting to edge forward toward Aleppo. I can only sit and wait…

Turn 106 – 4th July 1918

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

Nothing to report here.

Italy

The second garrison disappears under a hail of shot and shell…..

Turkey and Bulgaria

Nothing to report here.

Turn 107 – 18th July 1918

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

7th Infantry is attacked by the Portuguese but survives. I limit my offensive to one Artillery attack on one of the Portuguese units, but do not follow up with Infantry.

Italy

The German 11th Infantry Army takes a beating south of Trento and I re-shuffle my forces.

Turkey and Bulgaria

The French and British open up against the 1st Guards Garrison southeast of Tabuk, forcing it to retreat. The enemy has two Artillery so I cannot really argue with that….

Ditto – the usual attack on Trento by the Entente and I respond against the British with my Artillery. However I do not follow-up based on lack of opportunities for survival even if I manage to make the British unit retreat.

Turkey and Bulgaria

The Entente switches focus to the Turkish Garrisons east of Aqaba and these two units have not long to live…

Turn 109 – 15th August 1918

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

Further pressure applied in the middle of the front leads to more re-organisation. I cannot afford to attack at this stage…

Italy

Further reduction of an Infantry unit south of Trento – more re-cycling, although I am running out of units to re-cycle…

Turkey and Bulgaria

The Entente continue to pressure my units south of Tabuk but seemingly make no effort to move on Aleppo. I have no idea what I need to do to win the game…maybe the Entente don’t need Aleppo??

Turn 110 – 29th August 1918

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

I lose a German Garrison on the Swiss border and a French Garrison moves into the vacated space. I manage to get the hex back but am now almost out of reserves in the south….

Italy

More grief for the unit south of Trento – and I respond with an Artillery attack against an Italian Infantry.

Turkey and Bulgaria

The French continue to edge toward Medina…and I continue to retreat. Unlikely that Medina will hold until the end of the game.

Turn 111 – 12th September 1918

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

Little action on the Western Front. The Portuguese and French re-adjust their positions near the Swiss border, but otherwise it`s all quiet there.

Italy

The unit south of Trento is again the target here, although it’s just an Artillery attack and not followed up. I re-adjust my units accordingly.

Turkey and Bulgaria

The French halt their advance on Medina. I make a couple of attacks on Basra and Kuwait but these are one-on-one Garrison attacks and there is little damage caused to either side.

Turn 112 – 26th September 1918

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

Well that’s an unwelcome development – tanks appear on the Western Front …. All hell breaks loose – dogfights, counter-battery fire and allsorts! 51st Army almost disappears under a bombardment. I counterattack using 7th and 60th Army and manage to see off the pesky British unit. This leaves a gap in the Entente line, but I have nothing to exploit it with and so cannot attack the French Artillery just sitting there…..

In the centre 20th Army takes a pounding but I cannot manage to take him out of the front line….mmmm.

Italy

I attack the Italian Infantry that has been giving me grief south of Trento, reducing it to a 1-strength.

Turkey and Bulgaria

The Entente change tack and now look to the centre. My two Garrisons east of Aqaba have almost been destroyed and I rush – as much as that is possible in the desert – reinforcements to the area.

A little further north, east of Damascus, the British are on the march against the most southerly Bulgarian Army Group. I retreat as no doubt Artillery are about to make their presence felt.

Nothing happening on this front at all, so I splat a Portuguese Infantry with my Artillery.

Italy

One Artillery attack – nothing else. With two goes to go, the game looks to have fizzled out.

Turkey and Bulgaria

The British continue to chase after the Bulgarians – but I refuse to enter battle against Artillery.

Turn 117 - 5th December 1918

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

As expected, the Entente open up on this front. I am able to put full strength units in the front thanks to the recent pause in action, but cannot attack.

Italy

The usual Artillery attack, followed up with Infantry almost sees the end of 4th Army, but it just holds on and is evacuated out of the danger zone…straight into another. I rail it to Split where the Allies are about to land. I have a Bulgarian Infantry in hand to join the Austrian Army.

Turkey and Bulgaria

The Bulgarians continue their one-hex retreat, while in the south, there is just one Army blocking the Entente’s entry into Medina. With two goes left this city should hold out.

Turn 118 - 19th December 1918

Germany, Austria-Hungary and Bulgaria

Germany

Attacks continue in the north and south. Although there is no breakthrough, thank goodness the game is almost at an end as I have only a red strength unit and a Cavalry to replace previously losses at the front of the line.

Italy

In Italy I pound an Italian Infantry and reduce to a 3-strength with follow up Infantry attacks. Further south, I cannot stop an Italian Garrison from invading Split.

Turkey and Bulgaria

The Entente remove all forces before Medina, and further north, a French Infantry appears southwest of Aleppo. To the east, I complete my retreat of the Bulgarians to behind the Euphrates river line.

Sorry I made a boo-boo. I meant to take pictures of the final positions but I forgot

RESULT MARGINAL VICTORY TO THE CENTRAL POWERS!

Thanks to Colberki for a fun game!

_____________________________

England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson - October 1805

Well done, I thought you were for it in 1916 but you have scrambled through.

It would have been good to see Colberki's story as well.

warspite1

Thank-you. I think it was amazing that colberki stuck in there after losing the Russians..but then it became apparent that the western allies were so strong, they were able to push the CP further and further back. You are right, I was really hanging on at times. But of course I had no idea what the British / French morale was like.

_____________________________

England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson - October 1805